Nigerian military warns Avengers to end hostilities

Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters on Wednesday issued a warning to militants and oil pipeline vandals across the Niger Delta, saying the nation’s military would not abandon the confidence reposed in it by Nigerians.

The warning came ahead of President Muhammadu Buhari’s trip to the region on Thursday.

It also came hours after the militant group, Niger Delta Avengers, claimed responsibility for the destruction of two oil wells belonging to Chevron Corporation.

“The Defence Headquarters wishes to emphasize that the Nigerian Armed Forces will not relent in their efforts to flush out economic saboteurs masquerading under whatever guise to perpetuate evils in the Niger Delta,” Rabe Abubakar, the Acting Director of Defence Information said in a statement.

The Avengers, a new militant group that has claimed responsibility for a string of attacks on oil and gas installations across the Niger Delta since February, wrote on its Twitter page that it blew up the Chevron wells in the early hours of Wednesday.

“With the heavy presence of 100 gunboats, 4 warships and jet bombers, NDA blew up Chevron oil wells RMP 23 and RMP 24 3:44 a.m. this morning,” the group tweeted.

The group also ridiculed the Nigerian military, saying its successful activities had shown “the whole world that Nigeria military is good in harassing innocent civilians”.

In his statement, Mr. Abubakar said the military would not be intimidated by the tactics of the suspected militants.

“The military is not unmindful of the campaign of calumny against our soldiers by paid agents claiming that soldiers are harassing members of the public while performing their constitutional responsibility,” Mr. Abubakar, a brigadier-general, said.

“It is pertinent to state that it is the same group of people that are wreaking havoc on the critical national assets that are blackmailing the Armed Forces and other security agencies to divert attention.”

The military denied that it was harassing innocent people in Niger Delta communities.

“The security measure put in place is not meant to intimidate any innocent individuals but to bring normalcy to our land. We urge the communities and well meaning Nigerians to cooperate with the security agencies in their bid to apprehend the perpetrators.”

Mr. Abubakar, therefore, reinstated military’s commitment to discharge its duties within the ambiance of the law.

“The military and other security agencies will continue to discharge their lawful duties in the Niger Delta and any other part of the country in a most professional manner devoid of the claim by the criminal elements of harassment, intimidation and arrest. Our job is to secure infrastructural facilities and property of innocent citizens as well as containing the activities of criminal.”

Mr. Buhari’s journey would take him to Ogoniland where he is expected to flag-off the cleanup of the area which has been polluted for decades as a result of oil exploration there.

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Nigeria's new militants - The Niger Delta Avengers

With a name that sounds like it has come from the pages of a superhero comic book, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) is the latest militant group to emerge in Nigeria - attacking oil installations in a campaign which threatens the economy of Africa's most populous state.

"We are a group of educated and well-travelled individuals that are poised to take the Niger Delta struggle to new heights that has never been seen in this nation before," the NDA proclaimed in one of their first statement's on their website in April.

"We have well-equipped human resources to meet this goal."

It was not an idle threat. The NDA has carried out a barrage of attacks on oil installations in the Niger Delta region, causing a huge decline in oil production, which is the mainstay of the West African state's economy.

"The renewed activities of the militants in the Niger Delta is seriously affecting our oil production," Minister of Finance Kemi Adeosun admitted on state-owned NTA television.

Who is their leader?

This is the first armed group to emerge in the region - where most people are poor despite the fact that it is rich in oil - since late Nigerian President Umar Musa Yar'Adua granted amnesty to militants there seven years ago.

At the time, militants in the region said they wanted a better deal for their people who have suffered environmental degradation and economic dislocation because of oil production by some of the world's leading firms.

Many of the militants were encouraged to drop their arms and agitation in exchange for some cash incentives and training. Former President Goodluck Jonathan, who comes from the Niger Delta, continued the scheme.

The amnesty programme, which provides tens of thousands of former oil militants with a monthly stipend from the government, stemmed the level of violence.

But in the latest budget, President Muhammadu Buhari reduced funding for it by 70%, and has spoken of phasing it out entirely by 2018.

It is difficult to identify or determine who the members of the NDA are - their Twitter handle currently has an AFP photo of a Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) militant taken in September 2008 as its profile picture.

Local people in the region believe members of the group are largely elements of previous militant groups like Mend - led by Henry Okah, who has been incarcerated in South Africa - or the Niger Delta People's Salvation Front led by the vocal Mujahideen Asari Dokubo. They were left out of the government's amnesty programme.

Many say the NDA militants are followers of former Niger Delta warlords like Government Ekpemupolo, who has the alias Tompolo.

He signed up to the amnesty programme but has been on the run since February, refusing to be questioned by Nigeria's anti-corruption agency in connection with $231m (Ј163m) in missing government funds.

Mr Ekpemupolo has dissociated himself from the group - but none of the former militant leaders have commented.

Others believe the new militants are criminal elements that want to draw attention to themselves now that their kinsman, ex-President Jonathan, is out of power.

Currently, it is not known who officially leads the group, although a Col Mudoch Agbinibo has been signing press releases on behalf of the NDA.

There are suggestions that "Mudoch" is a pseudonym, like the one-time "Jomo Gbomo" of Mend.

Whatever perceptions people might have of the group, its activities in the Niger Delta appear well co-ordinated with a high level of technical expertise.

Oil production down

The NDA has stated unambiguously what it is setting out to achieve: "Our goal is to cripple Nigeria's economy."

After declaring what it called "Operation Red Economy" in February, it blew up an underwater pipeline forcing Royal Dutch Shell to shut down a terminal which normally produces 250,000 barrels of oil a day (bpd).

Last month, Shell declared a force majeure, which excuses a company from contractual agreements because events beyond its control, on exports of high grade crude oil after an attack on one of its trunk lines.

A few days later, US firm Chevron shut its Valve Platform following another attack, also claimed by the Avengers.

And ahead of President Buhari's first expected visit to the region on Thursday, the NDA said it had blown up two Chevron export terminals.

These attacks have dealt a huge blow to the revenue of the Nigerian government, which says the renewed activities of the militants are seriously affecting oil production.

In fact the country's production has dropped to 1.65 million bpd, as against the projected 2.2 million bpd.

The military has issued a stern warning that it will deal decisively with any group fermenting trouble in the country, including those it has described as "criminal elements in the Niger Delta".

But this appears to have emboldened the Avengers into more attacks that have had a knock-on affect on the supply of electricity that depends on gas from the oil-producing companies.

For President Buhari, who just marked one year in office, the NDA presents another fresh security challenge to the government which has been grappling with Islamist insurgency in the north-east of the country.

BBC

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Nigeria defeats Luxembourg 3-1 in football friendly

Nigeria's Super Eagles rounded off their two-game international friendlies with a comfortable 3-1 win over the Red Lions of Luxembourg on Tuesday.

Goals from Brown Ideye, Kelechi Iheanacho and Odion Ighalo ensured Nigeria won their second straight game in four days.

A sparse crowd at the Stade Josy Barthel in Luxembourg City watched the Super Eagles take on the Luxembourg side for the first time at full senior level with Nigeria doing the early running.

Luxembourg did have a sight at goal early in the game but did not make hay as Nigeria dominated for majority of the first half.

Aminu Umar was a live-wire down the right for Nigeria as they pressed forward to get a goal. Kelechi Iheanacho had a chance to get Nigeria ahead but was denied by a well-timed tackle as Luxembourg goalkeeper Moris Anthony was kept busy.

Nigeria eventually got the first goal in the 35th minute of the game. A mazy run by Aminu Umar created a chance for Ogenyi Onazi whose shot was parried by Anthony but Brown Ideye was on hand to tap home his first international goal in three years.

The Super Eagles continued their dominance in the second half and were rewarded when Moses Simon capitalised on a poor clearance by the Luxembourg goalkeeper to square the ball to Kelechi Iheanacho to score his second goal in two matches to put Nigeria 2-0 up in the 68th minute.

Luxembourg thought they had clawed their way back into the game when Kenneth Omeruo’s mistake in defence gifted youngster Vincent Thill the opportunity to reduce the deficit in the 89th minute.

Odion Ighalo though sealed the game for Nigeria in added time to make it 3-1 and earn the Super Eagles a comfortable win.

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